Aline Longstaff | 30 Women to Watch 2024 Emerging Leader
Attorney | Snell & Wilmer, LLP
As a Tongan-American who grew up in Saudi Arabia, Aline Longstaff realized early on that community was not created from shared ethnic, religious or national identities but rather fostered by a strong sense of commitment between individuals. After graduating from the University of Utah with degrees in history, international studies and Middle Eastern studies, Aline continued her education at Harvard University, where she obtained a master’s degree in Islamic Studies. She graduated from the J. Reuben Clark Law School in 2016. She is an active member of the Utah Minority Bar Association and Women Lawyers of Utah, a co-lead on the Lawyers of Color affinity group at Snell & Wilmer, and a mentor for minority law students. She serves as a chair liaison on the Utah Pacific Islander Chamber as well as a member of the Cottonwood Heights Parks, Trails, & Open Space Committee and on the Utah State Bar’s Ethics Advisory Opinion Committee.
Who are your role models, and how have they influenced you?
My grandfather, Siaosi Kupu Hala’ufia from Koloa, is a great role model to me. He and his children immigrated from Tonga to Utah in hopes of providing opportunities for their future generations. I hope to follow in his humble example of forging new paths for those who will come after me.
What advice would you give to young women looking to succeed in your field?
Your community needs you, and you need your community. Understanding that relationship and the potential network available to you has so many understated benefits — both in terms of learning from those that have walked this path before you as well as finding ways to serve others.
